These three palace buildings(from left
to right) are Parujeong, Jibokjae and Hyeopgildang.
They were originally built in the precincts
of Changdeokgung, but were moved to Gyeongbokgung
in 1888 when King Gojong relocated his official
residence there. King Gojong used the buildings
as an art hall in which to enshrine royal
portraits, a library and an audience hall
for the reception of foreign envoys. Records
show that in 1893 the king granted five
audiences to foreign envoys from Great Britain,
Japan and Austria.
The architectural style of Jibokjae differs
significantly from that of other palace
buildings, clearly displaying the influence
of Chinese architecture, which at that time
was regarded as ¡°modern¡± by Korean builders.